Xiaoyan Wang

Xiaoyan Wang

Higher Degree by Research Candidate

School of Chemical Engineering

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

My name is Xiaoyan (Shawn) Wang, and I am currently a PhD student at the University of Adelaide. Since embarking on my journey in bioengineering research, I have found great joy and fulfillment in my work. Along the way, I have met many outstanding and kind individuals who have become my role models and valued friends.

My current research focuses on the purification and assembly of virus-like particles (VLPs) and their performance in the encapsulation of nucleic acid drugs. I aim to advance the translational medical applications of VLPs, making them an effective and versatile drug delivery platform for gene therapy.

In my previous work, I specialized in the development of nano-drug delivery platforms and the exploration of immunotherapy. My tasks included constructing nanocarriers, characterizing particles, studying nanoparticles at the cellular level, testing materials in mouse experiments, and measuring related immune factors.

It is a pleasure to introduce myself here, and I wish everyone a happy and productive life and research journey!

Delivery of nucleic acids through nucleic acid delivery vehicles for the treatment of tumours is one of the current emerging strategies for tumour therapy. Lipid nanoparticles offer improved in vivo gene biodistribution and pharmacokinetic profiles, rendering them a favourable approach for clinical trials. Concurrently, virus-like particles, in addition to the vaccine properties they possess, are gradually being recognised for their special properties as gene carriers due to their unique nanostructures. However, applied research in the use of virus-like particles as vectors for tumour therapy is still relatively limited compared to the research into virus-like particles as vaccines. To address these challenges, this project aims to investigate RNA-loaded virus-like particles as a potential nucleic acid delivery system for RNA therapy and cancer treatments. The project starts from developing efficient methods for packaging RNA into virus-like particles. Following this, the properties of virus-like particles loaded with mRNAs, such as stability and stiffness will be explored. Then, cell uptake and cargo release, transfection, and translation efficiency of the virus-like particles and lipid nanoparticles will be systemically explored. Finally, we will investigate and compare immunogenicity between lipid nanoparticles encapsulating an immune adjuvant and virus-like particles, intending to enhance the immune response in cancer treatment.

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2021 Scholarship National Scholarship Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China China -
    2017 Nomination The 8th China Beautiful Campus Chorus Festival National: Second prize China Chorus Association China -
    2010 Nomination Chinese Musicians Association Instrumental Music Grade Examination Piano: Level 10 China Music Association China -

  • Language Competencies
    Language Competency
    Chinese (Mandarin) Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
    English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2019 - 2022 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences China M.En.
    2015 - 2019 Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University China Bc.Sc.

  • Postgraduate Training
    Date Title Institution Country
    2023 - 2026 Ph.D University of Adelaide Australia

  • Research Interests
    Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Bioprocessing, Bioproduction and Bioproducts Chemical Engineering

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2023 Lin, X., Li, F., Guan, J., Wang, X., Yao, C., Zeng, Y., & Liu, X. (2023). Janus Silica Nanoparticle-Based Tumor Microenvironment Modulator for Restoring Tumor Sensitivity to Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy. ACS NANO, 17(15), 14494-14507.
    DOI WoS2
    2022 Li, F., Wang, X., Wu, M., Guan, J., Liang, Y., Liu, X., . . . Liu, J. (2022). Biosynthetic cell membrane vesicles to enhance TRAIL-mediated apoptosis driven by photo-triggered oxidative stress. BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE, 10(13), 3547-3558.
    DOI WoS2 Europe PMC2
    2022 Lin, X., Li, F., Gu, Q., Wang, X., Zheng, Y., Li, J., . . . Liu, X. (2022). Gold-seaurchin based immunomodulator enabling photothermal intervention and aCD16 transfection to boost NK cell adoptive immunotherapy. ACTA BIOMATERIALIA, 146, 406-420.
    DOI WoS7 Europe PMC5
    2021 Wang, X., Wu, M., Zhang, X., Li, F., Zeng, Y., Lin, X., . . . Liu, J. (2021). Hypoxia-responsive nanoreactors based on self-enhanced photodynamic sensitization and triggered ferroptosis for cancer synergistic therapy. JOURNAL OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY, 19(1), 14 pages.
    DOI WoS30 Europe PMC16
    2021 Lin, X., Wang, X., Li, J., Cai, L., Liao, F., Wu, M., . . . Yao, C. (2021). Localized NIR-II photo-immunotherapy through the combination of photothermal ablation and <i>in situ</i> generated interleukin-12 cytokine for efficiently eliminating primary and abscopal tumors. NANOSCALE, 13(3), 1745-1758.
    DOI WoS25 Europe PMC10
    2021 Lin, X., Wang, X., Gu, Q., Lei, D., Liu, X., & Yao, C. (2021). Emerging nanotechnological strategies to reshape tumor microenvironment for enhanced therapeutic outcomes of cancer immunotherapy. Biomedical Materials (Bristol), 16(4), 18 pages.
    DOI Scopus7 WoS7 Europe PMC1
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